Rotary printing machine employing cylinders of various diameters



A 12, 1 J. HASPERT 2,606,493

ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE EMPLOYING CYLINDERS OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS Filed Feb. 8, 1946 v a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR AM ATTORNEYS Ft H.

Aug. 12, 1952 J. HASPERT ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE EMPLOYING CYLINDERS OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS Filed Feb. 8, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE EMPLOYING CYLINDERS OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS Filed Feb. 8, 1946 J. HASPERT Aug. 12, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOHN H/KSPEAZT ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 12, 1952 ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE EMPLOYING CYLINDERS OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS John Haspert, Tampa, Fla.

Application February 8, 1946, Serial No. 646,402

The present invention relates to improvements in printing machines and aims generally to improve existing printing machines.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of ar'elatively simple and compact machine capable of printing a large variety of matter in either single 'or multi colors.

' A furtherobject of the invention is the provision of an improved printingmachine capable of printing matter in a large variety of sizes, particularly as to length,by the'use of a printing cylinder having a circumference substantially equal to the length of the article being printed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a printing machine as above described having provision'for" replaceably mounting the printing cylinder therein for controlling the printing of articles of any given length.

A still further object is the provision of a printing machine'having a lineal series of printing units of the rotary cylinder type adapted to print images upon a continuous web, it being possible to operatea single printing unit of the machine for single color printing or a plurality of units for multi-color printing as desired.

A still further object is the provision of a relatively small compact machine which will be relatively cheap in the cost of construction, which is economical in the cost of operation for the printing of a great variety of work as above stated, and which may be conveniently mounted on a portable support to be readily moved to a desired location for operation.

Other numerous aims, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred form of the invention.

being broken away better to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the printing units similar to that shown in Fig. 1,- parts of the unit on opposite sides of a central median line being shown in adjusted positions for cooperation with printing cylinders of different diameters; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the machine illustrating thearrangement and disposition of the several mechanisms as well as the path of travel of the printed web through the machine.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a compact machine for printing printed matter, for example, labels, circulars and the like, in a single color or in multiple 8 Claims. (01. 101-178) 2 p colors by a succession of impressions on a continuous strip, the printed impressions of which may be of varying lengths or size within a wide range, the machine having means for thereafter accurately cutting the continuous printed strip into sections of predetermined length.

By way of illustration, one model of the ma-- chine is capable of printing labels and the like varying in length from 1% inches to 15 inches, though it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to such'sizes.

The machine shown in the drawings advantageously may comprise a base plate or bed I of suitable material, for example aluminum, along one side of which are mounted brackets 5 at one or more printing stations A, and a bracket 5 at a power station B. As herein illustrated, three printing stations A are provided for three-color printing Work, it being understood that the number of printing stations A will be dependent upon the number of colors in which the printed matter is to be printed. If single color printing only is desired, the printing station A, adjacent the power'station, may be used alone.

Mounted upon the base plate I at each of the printing stations A is a bracket 5 having an upstanding standard providing a bearing 6 for one end of the printing cylinder, and a laterally extending arm 1 providing a support and guide for a platen or impression roll carriage of the printing mechanism, later to be described.

An elongated bracket 8 is positioned along the opposite side of the machine and is provided with openable bearings 9 to replaceably receive the shaft l2 of the printing roller 1 I.

The printing mechanism comprises a printing cylinder H having one end removably and replaceably mounted in the bearings 9 of theelongated bracket 8 and the other end'clutched to a shaft Ill mounted in the bearing 6 of bracket 5. The printing cylinder is of a predetermined diameter to correspond in circumference substantially to the size of the finished printed article or sheet, and has its peripheral surface provided with the cut, type or impression to be printed 'upon the sheet, which cut may be in the form of a sleeve slipped over the cylinder. In the illustrated form of machine the printing cylinder I! may be of any suitable diameter. For the printing of articles ranging from 1% to 15 inches in length the printing cylinders will vary from about inch to about 4 inches.

. The printing cylinder may be of any type suitable for the particular kind of printing to be produced, but preferably comprises a cylinder of solid construction (see Fig. 1), having a coaxial shaft l2, extending beyond the ends thereof, one end of said shaft having a stub end I3 adapted to seat in a recess M in the shaft l0 and center theprinting cylinder coaxially with the shaft.

toward and from the axis of the printing cylinder l I. The carriage 31 is suitably mounted for slidable adjustment on the laterally extending arm 7 of the bracket 5, as by adove-tail-g-uide, and the platen or impression roll 30 carries a gear 32 adapted to be brought into meshing engagement withthe gears ll on the shaft end l2 of the printing cylinder shaft l2 so that the impression roll 39 will be synchronously driven from the openable bearing 9 on the bracket 8 having a' seat in the bracket 8 and a removable cap 9 adapted to be maintained in closed position around the shaft [2 by any suitable fastening (not shown). The bearing seat 9 and the cap 9 may have keys extending into an annular groove o'nthe shaft 12* to prevent endwise displacement of the shaft 12 and'cylinder 18in its mounting. v I v The drive shaft 10 for the cylinder [I may be driven by asuitable source, later to b edescribed,

through a chain 20 and sprocket drive 2!, and preferably this shaft 10 is asynchronizing drive for other printing cylinders of "the machine, when a plurality of printing mechanisms are used. For this purpose the several printing'cylinders may be interconnected by a chain drive '22 extending around sprockets 21 on the shafts iii of each printing cylinder. I

Each of the printing cylinders II isprovided with inking mechanisms preferably in the form of inking ro11s 25 an'd' inking wells 26 mounted below the cylinder 11. Theinking wells 26, wheth'er'a single well'o'r a pluraiity'of wells, and the associated rolls 25 'are preferably mounted on a unitary platform 27 adapted to be raised and lowered to present the final inking roll into surface contact with the printing f'c'ylind'er ll. Suitable raising and lowering mechanisms may comprise pairs of links 28 at opposite "ends of the platform, one 'end or each link being pivotally connected to an upstandingfbracket 21 on the platform and the opposite end of the link pivoted to 'a nut "29 havingth'readed engagement with a shaft 30 joumanea in bearings 31 on'the platform I and adapted to be rotated by a iiiiter gearing 32 from an actuating shaft 33'. The threaded portions of the shaft '31] are oppositely threaded so that the respective nuts 29 'ar'e simultaneously moved toward and away from the center position as will be apparent. Th in'kihg well platform 29 is advantageously guided during raising and lowering by giiide rods e'a'ineuiitea in the bed plate I. Y (I J The inking wells 26 may be ofan y suitable type and construction 'to hold a supply of printing ink and transfer it to the-printingv cylinder carrying the printing image. 'The 'piesentjappncation is not concerned with the details ere-onstruction of the inking wells ZBnor the construction and mounting of the rolls, it being understood that any suitable form of inking mechanism may be used.

The inking wells were securely 'inbuiited llpon the platforms 2'! as by dovetail keys "and "ways 28 which not only holds the inking mechanism securely in its predeterminedposition on the'pl'atform but permits of ready and "easy removal therefrom and replacement thereon for repair, cleaning and the like. i 1

Th paper or otherweb is printed as it pass es between the rotating'printing cylinder l-"I 'and'a rotating platen or impression roll 30 which is mounted in a carriage 3] adjustable radially printing cylinder H as it is brought into operative printing relation therewith.

The impression roll carriage of the printing unit A next adjacent the power drive station B preferably carries a plurality of web feeding rolls 3 (see Figs. 1 and 3) adapted to be rotated by a gear 36 geared to the platen roll gear 32. This providesa positiv feed for the web'to be printed. when the platen is in operative printing position to present the paper web to the printing unit A between the printing cylinder H and platen 'roll 30. As will be apparent when the platen'carriage is movedaw'ay from 'theprinting cylinder, rotation of the web feedingrolls is stopped.

Suitable means are provided for adjusting the platen rolls 30 toward and from the printing cylinder II, and advantageously such means may comprise 'a threaded shaft '35 'rotatably mounted in bearings '36 on the carriage 3| jand having threaded engagement with a gear 31 positioned between bearings 38 crime 'bra'cket'arin I which extend through an elongated openihg 39 in the carriage 3'1. Advantageously the 'pla'fin rens 30 of all printing mechanisms "are'ad'j us'ted in unison and this may be accomplished 'by a single "manually operable actuating shaft '40 having pinions 4| in meshwitheach "of the gears 31,so as to rotate the gears 31 of the several platen r011- adjusting mechanisms "in unison.

The single or several printing mechanisms A are synchronously driven through the interconnecting sprocket and chain drive 22 'abov'e described, the initial d'rive 'be'ing from a s' uitable variable Speed 'drive. heiinilliistrated, such drive may include an e1e'ctrie'motdr 50 mounted 'on the bas I and having aworm'gearfd'rive 51 With a "shaft'52 having "slidabl y kyed thereto 'a friction driving pinion 53 in friction driving engagement with a disc ML; The driving pinion ly 0f 'the disc 54 by means "of an'adjiis'ting fork jour'nalled the frame "and adapted to be manually rotated by any "suitable "means n'ot shown) The disc'54 is secure'd'to'a driveh'shaft 5! carrying a sprocket adapted-to drive chain 20 trained over the sprocket 2'! on the drive shaft [0. a v I The sheet 'to be printed is preferably in the form 'of'a continuous web 59 supplied from a roll an on the driven shaft 51 and is adapted to }be passed successively through the web feeding rolls 35, the several printing mechanisms-A, when multi-color work is-to be produced, and later to a shearing or severingmechanisins, later to'be described, where the web is cut into sections of predetermined length equal to the circumference of the printing cylinder I I.

The web-supply roll 60 is loose -upon theshafl' 51 and is unwound by the pull 'on the web exerted by the web feeding rolls 35. The driven shaft 51 rotates in an oppositedirection to the direction of the unwinding of the-roll'so -as to present a constant braking action or-drag to the rotation of the web supply roll in unwinding direction, tending "to keep the "portion or the web tween reciprocating cutters or knives 63.

. between the roll 60 and the feeding rolls 35 taut cludes a clutch controlled shaft 6| .(Fig. 3), driven from thedriveshaft 51. and having'ca'm and link means 62. for, effecting; relative movement be- The clutch controlled shaft 6| is preferably under the control of selective driving means 64 of suitable design whereby; the shaft 6| may be controlled to make a single cut and stop the machine, make successive cuts as the ,machine. continues its operation, or maybe rendered inoperative to permit. the printed web to vbe wound upon a ,reel;

The parti'culardetails of .such mechanism will be disclosed ina separate application tobe filed. vA web feeding roll. mechanism is provided for feeding the printed.web to the shearing mechanism S, and such feeding mechanism may be in the. formof driven rolls 65 for feeding the printed web to the shearsat the proper speed corresponding to the linealsurfaoe speed of the printing: cylinder ll to insure the cutting of printed sheets to exact and predetermined length during each operation of the shearing mechanism and at right angles to the longitudinal edge of the web as well as to prevent doubling or tearing the web.

Advantageously the web-feeding rolls 65 are driven by a chain drive 61 driven from a driving sprocket 68 on a shaft 69 mounted in an arm of a bell crank lever 19 pivoted upon the support 5, which shaft carries a spur gear ll adapted to be meshed with the spur gear I! on the end of the printing cylinder shaft [2. The opposite arm of the bell eranklever'ID-carries' a roller 72 working in a cam slot'l3 of a bracket 14 secured on the vertically adjustable inking well platform 21. Thus, as the platform 21 is raised or lowered to bring the inking mechanism into contact with the periphery of the printing cylinder, the cam slot 13 will actuate the bell crank lever automatically to move the spur gear H into engagement with the spur gear I! on the end of the printingicylinder. Thus, the web feeding rolls 65 are driven synchronously with the rotation of the printing cylinder insuring the proper feed of the'web to the shears and severance of the web into sheets of..a length corresponding exactly to thecircumference of the printing cylinder ll.

Preferablyan additional set of web feeding rolls 65 is provided between the first set of web feeding rolls 35 and the feeding rolls 65 for the shearing unit in order to provide for an adequate travel of the web through the printing units to keep the web at the desired tautness throughout the machine, thus preventing smearing of the printed image. In such cases where the web 59 is sub- ,iected to a coating operation, as for example varnish, I prefer to position the additional set of web feeding rolls 65 beyond that station. Such set of feeding rolls 65 preferably is provided in advance of the feeding rolls 65, which rolls may be driven by a chain drive 6i from one of the feeding rolls 65.

As herein illustrated, the web 59, on leaving the roll 69 is passed between the web feeding rolls 35, which unwind the roll 66 and feed the web between the printing cylinder l l and platen roll 39 of the first printing mechanism A Where it receives its first printing impression, in the case of multi-color work. When single color printingis desired,this first printing mechanism may be the only one used. .In the case of multicolor printing, the. web 59 passes under a spaceadjusting device or slack-compensating device 1! which preferably comprises a roll adjustably mounted in a guide, as for example, an elongated opening H in the standard 5, and thence between the printing cylinder and platen roll of the second printing mechanism A, thence under a spaceadjusting device 11 and between the printing cylinder and impression roll of. the third printing mechanism A. The space-adjusting device is preferably centrally disposed between adjacent printing units: The web, thereafter is passed around a tension roll vl5 which may be supported by the platen roll carriage 3| of the end,printing mechanism andgis passed upwardly over a second tension roll 15 above the printing mechanism.

The web 59 may then be passed forwardly and rearwardly of the machine a desired number of passes over tension rolls 15 to provide for adequately, drying the printed images on the web. If desired, this drying may be accelerated by a suitable heating device 80 embracing one or more of the passes and prior to its passage to the web feeding rolls I If desired, the printed web 59 may be coated with a lacquer or varnishafter the printing thereqf and prior to being presented to the web feeding rolls 65 or 65 Preferably, the varnish coating is applied at a point in the web travel after it has been initially dried by the heater and prior to its reentrytherein, as shown in Fig. 3. The coatingmay be applied by any suitable coating mechanism, forexample a driven roll mechanism-B l similar in construction to the inking rolls and driven by a chain drive 82. from any rotating part of the machine.

The machine provides a power take-off drive for operating a wrapping, folding, gluing or other necessary mechanism in synchronism with the printing and shearing mechanism. This may comprise a driven member such as a gear having a chain and drive connection 86 with a driven shaft of the machine, for example the shaft 6| of the shearing mechanism.

The machine herein illustrated is one adapted to the printing and cutting of labels in multicolors, and for such work it is desirable to provide a glue coating on one side. Such a gluing mechanism is diagrammatically illustrated at 90, Fig. 3, which may have a chain drive 9| geared to the power take-off gear 85 by an intermediate gear 92 or it may be directly geared thereto depending upon the direction of motion desired in the accessory attachment.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of printing mechanism and a preferred arrangement of associated mechanisms acting upon the web, I do not intend to be limited thereby as the scope of the invention is best demechanisms mounted in said frame and relatively movabletoward and from the peripheral surface of a-preselected diameter printing roll disposed therein, a driven gear for each of said platen and. inking roll mechanisms and movable therewith to be brought into meshing engagement with the driving pinion on said printing cylinder when said'jmechanisms are adjusted into operative engagement with the surface of said preselected printing cylinder.

2. A rotary printing press as defined in claim 1 in that the side frame member opposite the one having the driving clutch element is provided with an openable bearing to replaceably receive the printing cylinder adjacent the driving pinion thereon.

3. A rotary printing press as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame includes a transversely disposed bracket above the printing cylinder and said impression cylinder is mounted in a carriage vertically adjustable on said frame'bracket.

4. A rotary printing press as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that the frame includes a transversely extending bracket above the printing cylinder which bracket is provided with bearing members rotatably supporting a gear and the impression roll mechanism is carried by a carriage slidably adjustable on said bracket and is provided with a screw having threaded engagement with said gear whereby rotation of the latter will raise and lower said carriage on said bracket.

5. A rotary printing press as defined in claim 1 in which the inking roll mechanism is mounted on a platform and means are provided for raising and lowering said platform to bring said inking roll into cooperative engagement with a preselected diameter printing roll mounted in said frame.

6. A rotary printing press adapted to employ printing cylinders of various diameters for printing articles of various lengths upon a continuous web comprising a frame including spaced side members, a driving clutch element rotatably mounted in one of said frame side members, a printing cylinder of preselected diameter to conform to the length of the article to be printed and having a shaft provided at one end with a comating clutch element adapted to be operatively connected to the said driving clutch element, the pposite end of said printing cylinder shaft being replaceably mounted in an opposed side member of said frame and provided with a driving pinion of equal diameter with said printing cylinder, an impression roll mechanism mounted in said frame and relatively adjustable toward and from said printing cylinder, said impression roll having a driven gear adapted to be meshed with said printing cylinder driving pinion when said roll and cylinder are in operative contact, a plurality Of cooperating web feeding rolls. and means for driving said web feeding rolls from said impression roll driven gear whereby feeding of the continuous web is initiated upon rotation of the impression roll from said printing cylinder.

7. A rotary printing press as defined in claim 6 in which the web feeding rolls are mounted for movement with said impression roll.

8. In combination with a rotary cylinder printing press adapted to print impressions upon'a continuous web, a rotary printing cylinder having a driven gear associated therewith, a platen roll relatively adjustable toward and from the printing cylinder, power driven web feeding rolls, and means for operatively connecting said rolls directly with said gear for rotation at the same peripheral speed as said printing cylinder, said means including a gear member carried by the platen roll movable into and out of mesh with said driven gear to render said web-feeding rolls inoperative when printing is not taking place.

JOHN HASPERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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